Bottles in semi-rigid plastic material

ABSTRACT

Bottles in semi-rigid plastic material intended more particularly for containing and dispensing physiological liquids comprising two opposed transversal walls constituting respectively the base of the bottle and a narrowing of the body of the bottle, this latter one comprising one or several access devices to the inside and four sidewalls higher than broad, at least two -and to a maximum all- of these walls having at least a groove extending, bellow-shaped, on the higher part of the height of the wall and giving to the section of the bottle the shape of a concave polygone, the concavity of which is increasing when, under a slight internal depression, the walls tend to join together.

[ Dec. 16, 1975 BOTTLES IN SEMI-RIGID PLASTIC MATERIAL [75] Inventor:Willy Lhoest, Rixensart, Belgium [73] Assignee: Recherche et IndustrieTherapeutiques, Belgium 22 Filed: Nov. 28, 1973 21 Appl. No.2 419,847

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 8, 1972 Belgium 125060 [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,595,441 7/1971 Grosjean 222/1072,858,051 10/1958 Cunningham.... 222/105 X 3,097,677 7/1963 Mitchell222/107 X 3,288,334 11/1966 Corsette.... 222/107 3,319,684 5/1967Calhoun 128/272 X 3,354,924 11/1967 Birrell et a1 222/92 X 3,367,3802/1968 Dickey 222/107 X 3,727,803 4/1973 Cobb 150/.5 X

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,449,600 7/1966 France 128/272 3,3366/1908 United Kingdom 222/107 Primary Examiner-Stanley I-I. TollbergAssistant Examiner-Charles A. Marmor Attorney, Agent, or Firm.lanice E.Williams; Alan D. Lourie; William H. Edgerton [5 7] ABSTRACT Bottles insemi-rigid plastic material intended more particularly for containingand dispensing physiological liquids comprising two opposed transversalwalls constituting respectively the base of the bottle and a narrowingof the body of the bottle, this latter one comprising one or severalaccess devices to the inside and four sidewalls higher than broad, atleast two -and to a maximum allof these walls having at least a grooveextending, bellow-shaped, on the higher part of the height of the walland giving to the section of the bottle the shape of a concave polygone,the concavity of which is increasing when, under a slight internaldepression, the walls tend to join together.

2 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Dec. 16,1975 Sheet10f73,926,341

US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 Sheet 2 of7 3,926,341

US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 Sheet 3 of7 3,926,341

US. Patent Dec. 16,1975 Sheet4of7 3,926,341

Fig.5

US. Patent Dec. 16,1975 Sheet5of7 3,926,341

U.S. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 sheewofv 3,926,341-

US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 Sheet7of7 3,926,341

Fig.8

Fig.9

BOTTLES IN SEMI-RIGID PLASTIC MATERIAL The present invention relates tobottles of semirigid plastic material and intended more particularly forcontaining and dispensing physiological liquids for parenteraladministration (more particularly for intraveinous administration) andirrigation of operative fields, such as for example physiological serum,blood, blood fractions, plasma and plasma substitute solutions,electrolytic and other solutions.

Containers intended for such uses and made of flexible or semi-rigidplastic material are already known: as flexible plastic material,compositions containing polyvinyl chloride are generally used; assemi-rigid plastic material, polyethylene, polypropylene, polypropyleneand polyethylene copolymers and polycarbonate may be mentioned as notlimitative examples. The physical properties of flexible plastics aregenerally counteracted by physical, chemical or toxicologicaldisadvantages arising especially from ageing phenomena and/or from thepresence of plasticizers, antioxidants, colouring agents and generallyfrom any ingredient likely to diffuse in the solution which is containedin the bottle.

Semi-rigid plastic materials are generally chemically inert and aretherefore particularly suitable for preparing, sterilizing, containingand dispensing such solu tions. Semirigid plastic bottles are alreadyknown in which the relative flexibility of the material is exploited toallow the emptying of the bottles by self-collapsibility of the wallswithout it being necessary to equilibrate the flow of the liquid bybringing the inside of the bottle into contact with the atmosphere, asthis is the case for the glass containers. 7

Nevertheless, the existing semi-rigid plastic bottles I present somedisadvantages such as for example a slowdown in the out-flow of theliquid, owing to the increasing resistance to the deformation of thebottle, resistance which appears during the emptying of the bottle andwhich can even stop the out-flow even though the bottle still containsan appreciable amount of liquid.

Another disadvantage of semi-rigid plastic bottles known sofar alsoresides in the fact that most of these bottles do not allow addition ofanother drug to the liquid contained in the bottles, because the volumeof the internal residual air is very limited to reduce with a maximum ofefficiency the risk of oxidation of the contents.

Known rigid or semi-rigid plastic bottles also present the disadvantagethat they can not be sterilized in usual autoclaves, i.e. which are notequipped with a counterpressure system, allowing, for example, for asterilization at 120 C, to exert a counterpressure of 1.5 to 2 kg/cm onthe outside wall of the bottle.

Without this expensive system, the bottles indeed explode or getirreversibly out of shape during the sterilization owing to theoverpressure occuring inside.

It is also to be noted that, in some cases of surgical technique, theliquid must be administered within a r'elatively very short delay,possibly under pressure, and this is generally incompatible with theresistance of the semi-rigid walls to collapsibility.

The present invention relates to semi-rigid plastic bottles which avoidthose disadvantagesand present further advantages.

The bottle according to this invention is a semirigid plastic container,having two opposed transversal walls constituting respectively the baseof the bottle and a narrowing of the body of the bottle, said narrowingpresenting one or several access devices to the inside and foursidewalls higher than broad, at least two -and to a maximum allof saidsidewalls presenting at least a groove extending, bellows-shaped, on thegreater part of the height of the wall and giving to the section of thebottle the shape of a concave polygon, the concavity of which isenhanced when, under a slight internal depression or external pressure,the walls tend to join together.

According to an embodiment of this invention, also the base of thebottle presents a groove, bellowsshaped, joining the bellows-shapedgrooves of the two opposed sidewalls.

The bottle of this invention is thus a variable volume bottle, thevariation of which is performed following the principle of the bellows.

The initial filling of the bottle and its sealing are preferably carriedout maintaining a middle opening of the bellows in order to allow theeventual addition of some supplemental product by opening of thebellows.

According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, the bottlepresents a bellows-shaped base equipped with a hanging device and foursidewalls, two opposed ones of which presenting at least one grooveextending, bellows-shaped on the greater part of their height, the twoother sidewalls being substantially flat and collapsing, owing to theout-flow. These substantially flat sidewalls possibly present differentgeometrical shapes, more particularly a rectangular or a trapezoidalshape; they possibly may be strenghtened by a transversal wave, by acrinkling or by all other means known to the art to stenghten a flatsurface through modification of its profile.

When sterilized in an autoclave, the bottle according to the inventioncontains the physiological liquid and counteracts the internalover-pressure by volume increase through opening of the bellows and,after cooling, gets back to its initial volume, i.e. beforesterilization. So, the sterilization of the bottles according to theinvention may be carried out in usual autoclaves or in continuoussterilizers which are not provided with special and expensive devicesfor pressure counterbalancmg.

According to the invention, the bottle when filled up to a middleopening of the bellows does, owing to its configuration, also allow theeventual addition of another product without establishing over-pressureinside the bottle.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the narrowed transversalwall of the bottle presents a device providing access to the inside.This device may consist either in one or several tubulures sealed attheir end, or in one or several necks containing a rubber closure device-especially an elastomer stopperpresenting one or several weakeningareas allowing access by perforation with spontaneous reclosure.

It is obvious that one single bottle according to the present inventionmay simultaneously be provided with different access devices.

A number of such access devices are already known and are applicable tothe bottle of the present invention.

For example, the end of the neck or necks is provided with a annularshoulder on which leans the lip of an elastomer stopper fitted to theneck by setting with a metallic or plastic cap; the central part of saidcap being provided with a prepared crack allowing to un- 3 cover theexternal side of the cap when it must be punched.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the base of the bottleis preferably provided with a hanging device, said hanging device beingfor instance a folding handle.

Preferably, this hanging handle has a geometrical shape so that, thebottle being positioned for administration of its contents, i.e.inverted, the weight of the bottle exerts on this handle and throughgravity effect, a traction force, a component of which tends to bringcloser the flat sidewalls of the bottle and therethrough to stillimprove its collapsibility. For instance, such a handle can be curvedand attached at its ends to the two flat sidewalls. This handle may bemade during the moulding of the bottle and in the same material as thebottle itself, but variations of the same device can be conceivedaccording to which, for example, the handle is not moulded at the sametime as the bottle but attached subsequently to it, for example, byeyelets moulded the bottle and located on the edges common to the baseand to two sidewalls, preferably to two flat sidewalls, an advantage ofsuch embodiment being, as previously indicated, to improve thecollapsibility.

The following description of a collapsible bottle according to theinvention illustrates some embodiments of the invention.

This description is given as a non limitative example with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3 illustrate in perspective three possible shapes ofbottles according to the invention the bottles being represented, filledand stoppered;

FIGS. 1B and 2B show views in perspective of the base of the bottlesrespectively represented by FIGS. 1A and 2A;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the bottle represented by FIGS. 1A and 1Band showing a flat sidewall (1);

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the bottle represented by FIGS. 1A and 1Band showing a sidewall (2) with a bellows shaped longitudinal groove;

FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the bottle represented by FIGS. 1A and 1Bduring its discharge and showing a sidewall (2) with a bellows-shapedlongitudinal groove;

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the bottle represented by FIGS. 1A and 1Bbut supplemented with an additional volume of liquid and showing a flatsidewall(1);

FIG. 8 is a cross-section following AA of the bottle represented byFIGS. 4 and 5;

FIG. 9 is a cross-section following BB of the bottle during itsdischarge represented by FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a cross-section following CC of the bottle represented byFIG. 7.

Referring to the description illustrated by the FIGS. 1 to 10,semi-rigid plastic bottle, according to the invention, presents foursidewalls (l,2,3,4), one or several access devices (5) and one base (6).

The sidewalls (1,3) are flat while the sidewalls (2,4) show a groove(7,8) extending bellow-shaped on the greater part of their height.

The base (6) shows a groove (9). The edges (10) common to the flatsidewalls and to the sidewalls showing a longitudinal bellows-shapedgroove are roundedoff and the grooves (7,8) and (9) of the sidewalls andof the base are rounded-off or with re-entrant sharp edge.

The bottle can be made by means of extrusion/blow machines generallyused for the manufacture of various 4 shapes of bottles in semi-rigidplastic material, more particularly polyethylene and polypropylene.

For employing a bottle according to the invention, the bottle may befilled according to any usual technique or preferably, directly at thelast step of its manufacture, offering the advantage of a direct fillingunder sterile conditions and without any deformation of the bottleinasmuch as this one is still in the mould at this time.

The filling of the bottle may be adjusted to its optimum capacity andhermetically stoppered before complete cooling of the contents, so thatthe volume of the bottle at normal temperature is slightly smaller thanthe volume of the bottle when it was filled.

Before use, the bottle is inverted and suspended by the handle (11).

If supplemental liquid must be added to the contents of the bottle,either a syringe or an hollow needle with two points can be used forconnecting the bottle with the vial containing the additional liquid.This connection can be carried out either before or after inversion ofthe bottle.

When, for specific reasons, it is desired to accelerate the discharge ofthe contents of the bottle according to the invention, this result canbe obtained without connecting the inside of the bottle with theatmosphere -but simply by exerting a supplemental external pressure onthe flat sidewalls. This supplemental pressure can be exerted either byhand or by means of a pressing-machine.

Although a graduation of such bottle has only a relative value and showsno linear ratio with the variation of the contents of the bottle duringits administration, it is nevertheless possible to have such graduationon at least one and preferably on each flat sidewall of the bottle or atleast on one of the edges of the sidewalls.

Without departing from the scope of the invention, the external surfaceof the bottle may also be treated, e.g. varnished for improvingtransparence of the semirigid material.

We claim:

1. An improved collapsible semi-rigid plastic bottle for containing anddispensing physiological liquids for intravenous administration of thetype having four sidewalls joined at their respective ends by twoopposed transversal walls to form a base and a narrowing top surface,said top surface containing at least one access device to the insidevolume of said bottle, with two opposite sidewalls containing abellows-shaped groove extending substantially the entire length of saidsidewalls and said base also containing a bellows-shaped groove joinedat each end to the bellows-shaped grooves of the attached sidewalls suchthat when under an internalextemal pressure differential the remainingtwo flat sidewalls of said bottle collapse toward each other, whereinthe improvement comprises a flexible hanging means oppositely attachedto two edges formed by the joining of said base to said flat sidewallsso that, when said bottle is hanging in an inverted position, the weightof said bottle exerts a force on said flexible hanging means which, as aresult of the positioning and flexing of said hanging means, materiallyaids in the collapse of said flat sidewalls.

2. The improved collapsible bottle of claim 1 in which said flexiblehanging means is a curved handle oppositely attached at the center ofsaid two edges formed by the joining of said base to said flatsidewalls.

1. An improved collapsible semi-rigid plastic bottle for containing anddispensing physiological liquids for intravenous administration of thetype having four sidewalls joined at their respective ends by twoopposed transversal walls to form a base and a narrowing top surface,said top surface containing at least one access device to the insidevolume of said bottle, with two opposite sidewalls containing abellows-shaped groove extending substantially the entire length of saidsidewalls and said base also containing a bellows-shaped groove joinedat each end to the bellows-shaped grooves of the attached sidewalls suchthat when under an internal-external pressure differential the remainingtwo flat sidewalls of said bottle collapse toward each other, whereinthe improvement comprises a flexible hanging means oppositely attachedto two edges formed by the joining of said base to said flat sidewallsso that, when said bottle is hanging in an inverted position, the weightof said bottle exerts a force on said flexible hanging means which, as aresult of the positioning and flexing of said hanging means, materiallyaids in the collapse of said flat sidewalls.
 2. The improved collapsiblebottle of claim 1 in which said flexible hanging means is a curvedhandle oppositely attached at the center of said two edges formed by thejoining of said base to said flat sidewalls.